Resilient holder for fishing flies



Oct. 2, 1956 w J U RESILIENT HOLDER FDR FISHING FLIES Filed Sept. 30,1956 I N VEIYTOR Wlimm J ll lue ATTORNEYS 2,764,839 Patented Oct. 2,1956 RESILIENT HOLDER FOR FISHING FLIES William J. Wylie, Feeding Hills,Mass. Application September 30, 1955, Serial No. 537,800 7 Claims. (Cl.43-575) This invention relates to a holder for fishing flies adapted forgripping the fly by the exposed portion of the hook with suflicientfrictional pressure to maintain it in fixed position and out of contactwith anything that might tend to distort the hackle.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a fly holderwhich comprises fundamentally a continuous resilient wire bent atintervals to form an elongated series of preferably uniformly spaced,parallel loops, each having contiguous shank portions and a narrowlyopen bight portion, the shank portions of all the loops of said serieslying in a common base plane and the axes of said bight portions lyingin a common plane angularly disposed with respect to said base plane,alternate bight portions being axially displaced at 90 to the otheralternate bight portions so that with respect to any pair of adjacentloops, the bight portion of one enters edgewise into the loop of theother when the bight portions of the pair are pressed together againsttortional resistance derived from their shank portions, the inner bightportion forming an eye beyond the embracing bight portion, into whichthe hook of the fly may be passed and clampably held by tortional forcewhen the pair of bight portions are released.

Another object of the invention is to embody a fly holdor as described,in the form of a hatband.

Still another object of the invention is to incorporate the invention ina fly box.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following descriptionof a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of the followingspecification, and throughout the figures of which the same charactersof reference have been used to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fly holder embodying the principlesof the invention, incorporated in a hatband;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of the hatband with aportion of the fly holder stitched thereto;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the portion of the fly holder shown in Figure2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, illustrating theclamping relationship of the intersecting bight portions of adjacentloops of the fly holder;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view through a fly box illustrating aslightly modified form of the invention applicable to use in the flybox.

Referring now in detail to the invention, the numeral 1 represents aresilient wire which is bent out perpendicularly to its generallongitudinal extent, and preferably at uniform intervals to form theloops, which as a whole are designated by the numeral. 2. Said loopshave contiguous shank portions 3 and narrowly open bight portions 4. Theshank portions 3 emanate from the wire 1, so as to lie in a common baseplane. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the fly holder issecured to a flexible band 5, part of which may be elastic as shown at6, so that it will fit any sized hat, as suggested in Figure l. Theshank portions 3 are stitched to the hatband by the stitching 7, so thatthe aggregate shank portions define a supporting base for the flyholder. The bight portions 4 are angularly deflected with respect to theshank portions 3, the axes of said bight portions lying in a plane whichis at a suitable angle to the base plane of the fly holder. In that formwhich is illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the axes of the bight portionsare in a plane perpendicular to the base plane so that the bightportions stand out at right angles to the base plane. The bight portionsof alternate loops are axially displaced at to the other alternate loopsso that when any adjacent pair of loops is pressed together with thefingers, against tortional resistance derived from the shank portions ofsaid loops, one shank portion will enter edgewise into and through theadjacent bight portion, forming an eye on the opposite side of theembracing portion into which the exposed hook of the fly may be passed.Then when the pair of bight portions is released, they will tend to resume their normal position of parallelism, causing the hook of the flyto be clampably held within the eye by mutual opposed pressure. Theresiliency of the wire is such that the fly will be maintained underfrictional pressure in any position into which it may be placed. Inorder to release the fly, it is merely necessary to press theintersecting bight portions together so as to free the fly from clampingpressure, and to remove it. it is obvious that the manipulation requiredfor inserting or removing the fly is such that the fingers need not makecontact either with the body of the fly or the hackle, and consequently,neither the body or hackle need be mussed or ruffled.

It is obvious that a fly holder of the type described may be made in anylength, if desired, and cut into suitable smaller lengths, as required.

in that form of the invention shown in Figure 5, suitable lengths 8 ofthe fly holder are secured to a rigid base 9 instead of to a flexiblebase such as is represented by the hatband 5. In this instance the flyholder is secured to the base by staples 10, which embrace the shankportions 3, and also by staples 11, which hold down the portions of thewire between the angularly diverted shank portions. In that form of theinvention shown in Figure 5, instead of the bight portions beingperpendicular to the shank portions, their axes lie .in planes whichmake an acute angle with the plane of the shank portions 3, thuspermiting the use of a shallow box, and at the same time preserving allof the convenience and advantages of the form of fly holder shown inFigures 1, 2 and 3.

In this invention it is obvious that by applying more or less pressureto the loops of a pair, the eye may be enlarged to any extent necessaryfor the insertion of the hook of the fly so as to make it easy to insertthe fly, regardless of whether one has good or poor eyesight, and alsoto facilitate the insertion or removal of the fly in darkness.

While I have in the above description defined what I have found to bepractical embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that the specific details of construction asdescribed, are by way of example and not to be construed as necessarilylimiting the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. Holder for fishing flies comprising a resilient wire bent at spacedintervals to provide a series of parallel spaced loops, the shankportions of the loops of said series being in a common plane embracingthe axis of the wire, alternate loops being axially displaced through 90relative to the other alternate loops whereby when adjacent loops arepressed together one enters edgewise into the other forming therewith aneye therebeyoncl, with closing bias drived from the resiliency of thewire.

2. Holder for fishing flies comprising a resilient wire bent at spacedintervals to provide a series of parallel spaced loops, the shankportions, of a loop being contiguous, said shank portions beingsubstantially in a common plane embracing the axis of the Wire,alternate loops being axially displaced through 90 relative to the otheralternate loops, whereby when adjacent loops are pressed together oneenters edgewise into the other forming therewith. an eye therebeyond,with closing bias derived from the resiliency of the wire.

3'. Holder for fishing flies comprising a resilient wire bent at spacedintervals to provide a series of parallel spaced loops, the shankportions of a loop being contiguous, said shank portions beingsubstantially in a common plane embracing the axis of the wire,alternate loops being axially displaced through 90 relative to the otheralternate loops, whereby when adjacent loops are pressed together oneenters edgewise into the other forming therewith an eye therebeyond,with closing bias derived from the resiliency of the wire, a base, andmeans engaging the shank portions of said loops for anchoring saidholder to said base.

4. Holder for fishing flies comprising a continuous resilient wire bentat intervals to form an elongated series of preferably uniformly spacedparallel. loops, each having contiguous shank portions and a narrowlyopen bight portion, the shank portions of all the loops of said serieslying in a common base plane and the axes of the bight portions lying ina common plane angul'arly disposed with respect to said base plane,alternate bight portions being angularly displaced at 90 to the otheralternate bight portions so that with respect to any pair of adjacentloops, the bight portion of one enters edgewise through the loop of theother when they are pressed together contra to their resilient bias.

5. Holder for fishing flies as claimed in claim 4, ineluding a basemember having a face thereof in the plane of said shank portions,engaging the latter, and means securing said shank portions to saidbase.

6. Holder for fishing flies as claimed in claim 4, including a basememberhaving a face thereof in the plane of said shank portions engagingsaid shank portions, means securing said shank portions to said base,the plane commonly embracing said shank portions and the plane commonlyembracing the axes of said. bight portions forming an acute dihedralangle,

7. Holder for fishing flies as claimed in claim. 5, said base being aflexible hatband.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS616,657 Gaines Dec. 27, 1898 2,222,096 Walthour Nov. 19, 1940 2,229,292Heiner June 21, 1941 2,268,920 Baumgartner Ian. 6, 1942 2,501,443Fitzsuninon Mar. 21, 1950

